SAMOAN PROBLEMS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16623, 16 April 1928, Page 11

SAMOAN PROBLEMS

ADMINISTRATOR RETURNS CAUSE OF DISTURBANCE SMALL NON-NATIVE SECTION. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. " Any Nov,' Zealand Government officer who goes to Samoa and endeavors to fearlessly and courageously discharge his trust and do his' part to carry out tho mandate in the interests of the native race sooner or later becomes an object of censure and misconception on the part of the small non-native section of the community in Apia, some of whom live in the past and yearn for a return of the good old days when Apia was known as the hell of the Pacific, when the natives were, comparatively speaking, a non-progressive, diseased, and uncared-for people." Such was the statement of MajorGeneral Sir George Richardson, to a Star reporter to-day, when he returned on tho Tofua from Suva, having completed his five years' term as Administrator oif tho mandated territory of Western Samoa. Sir George stated that ho would leave New Zealand next week en route for Geneva, where ho will appear before the Mandates Committee or the League of Nations. " Please make it quite clear that I could give -i very full statement concerning the whole position, but I do not wish to do so until I have seen the Prime Minister and the Government," added Sir George. SUCCESSOR PRAISED. Questioned concerning the, new Administrator, Colonel Allen, Sir George said that in his opinion the right choice of appointment had been made. Colonel Allen was a fine man in every way, and should do well. " Of course, tho trouble in Samoa has been fully dealt with in the report of the Royal Commission, which sat last year," lie said. " You ask me why the trouble did not come to an end when the. Royal Commission was over, and when the report had been given to the world. Some 500 native chiefs and orators were heard by the. commission, and the truth was published. I. can say that the cliief conspirators or leaders of this movement led the natives to believe that the Royal Commission was not the end of flic, matter. They led the natives to believe, that they wcro going to take the mail or further afield." " Geneva?" interjected the interviewer. " I do not say," returned Sir George, " but they led the natives to think that they had great power and could reverse tho decision of the Royal Commission." NATIVES LED ASTRAY.

"It must, of course, bo understood that the natives cannot reason as we do, and a small coterie of chiefs is receiving to-day instructions from some of these leaders. They are carrying on the movement which they call the Mau, which has really developed into a revolutionary T'Ocie'ty to subvert the influence of the Government. I say that it is practically criminal to influence the natives in that way." Sir George added that the trouble was being made worse by the letters of instruction which these leaders were sending. Some of these leaders, who had misled the natives, had been sent away for their country's good. They had contributed money and, had prevailed upon some of the'natives to give money, and had induced the native chiefs to uso their influence in carrying on the use of intimidation with a view to making their people join the movement. The intimidation took the form of threats of banishment to other villages. " 1 have a number of complaints from loyal villagers, complaints in writing, in support of that statement," said Sir George.